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Sister Wives: Maddie Brush Loves Taking Pics Of Her Kids Is Her New Camera Any Good? – TV Shows Ace

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Danzig

Sister Wives fans know that Maddie Brown Brush recently gave birth to her daughter Evie-K. From the get-go, shes shared cute pictures of her little one and elder brother Axel interacting with her. But, she wants to take more photos, to the point that she went off and got herself a new camera. Is it a good buy for Maddie? Lets find out.

Reality stars sometimes opt to leave the kids out of their social media. Ashley Martson of TLCs 90 Day Fiance comes to mind. But for other reality stars, its not easy to keep them out the limelight as their kids make up a large part of the show. Think Teen Mom, Little People, Big World, and Unexpected. For Maddie, who grew up in a family show and is no stranger to cameras, theres no problem with sharing pics of her kids. Fans get spoiled by Maddie, who cheerfully shares photos.

Taking to her Instagram on Monday, Maddie shared a new photo of Evie K. She captioned it with, Got myself a new mom camera Obviously I am having wayyyyy too much fun. She sure is cute though! And, the photo of Kody Browns granddaughters very cute indeed. The newest addition to the Sister Wives family wears a bright yellow bow on her head, and her big blue eyes stare at the camera. Naturally, fans wanted to know what type of camera she bought.

These days not everyone bothers with lugging around a camera. After all, most decent phones come with quite good cameras built in. It makes for ease when uploading to Instagram, and no special knowledge about lenses and lighting is required. But for those who wish to up their art with photos, a separate cameras not a bad idea. In answer to questions, the Sister Wives star said she bought a Nikon D3500, adding that she thinks its WORTH IT! The D3500 is a step up from the older D3400. The camera first got produced in 2018, and in 2019 it won the TIPA Best DSLR title.

Digital Camera World reviewed it as, The D3500 isnt just Nikons cheapest and simplest DSLR, its also its lightest, weighing just 415g, body only, and thats with the battery and a memory card. It will usually come with a lightweight 18-55mm AF-P kit lens which has a retracting mechanism to make it more portable when its not switched on. Mind you when they say its the cheapest, potential buyers should note that the price ranges from $499.95 to $849.95, depending on which lens kit you prefer. They also suggest that no smartphone can yet match the quality of a good DSLR. For nearly $1,000 you could get their top phone with an inbuilt camera the Apple iPhone 11 Pro.

The Sister Wives star chose an entry-level DSLR camera. The buttons and dials are easy to understand, and theres even a guide mode for newbies. However, PC Magnotes the drawback. They wrote, Theres no Wi-Fi, but the D3500 does have Bluetooth for wireless file transfer. It can transfer 2MP JPG images to your Android or iOS device using the Nikon SnapBridge app, a free download for either platform. So, youd need to take an extra step when it comes to sharing your pic online.

But, if Maddies looking to learn more about photography, the cameras probably a good choice for her. Do you use a DSLR? Or, do you prefer to just snap a pic using your smartphone? Sound off your thoughts in the comments below.

Remember to check back with TV Shows Ace often for more news about the cast of TLCs Sister Wives.

Woryn is a writer who started a small book publishing company in New Zealand. He wrote three books, one of them published by Domhan. Woryn prefers to write about real things, rather than fiction which is why he likes to focus on Reality TV shows.

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Sister Wives: Maddie Brush Loves Taking Pics Of Her Kids Is Her New Camera Any Good? - TV Shows Ace

Megan Barton-Hanson shares shady post after ‘splitting’ from girlfriend Chelcee Grimes – Heat World

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Danzig

by Nathan Katnoria | 20 10 2019

Love Island and Celebs Go Dating star Megan Barton-Hanson has shared a series of cryptic quotes on Instagram that appear to throw shade at ex-girlfriend Chelcee Grimes following reports theyve split.

Megan began dating Chelcee last month after her relationship with TOWIE star Demi Sims fizzled out and even starred in the pop stars music video for Time To Talk, but its thought the pair struggled to make things work with their busy schedules.

They got on really well and enjoyed a brief romance, but decided to call it a day earlier this week. Both were a bit upset about it, but remain pals, a source told The Sun.

Chelcee is throwing herself into her music projects and concentrating on recording new tracks at the moment. She is working on a music video so that is taking her mind off her love life.

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After her split from fellow Love Island star Marcel Somervillle, CBB star Gabby Allen announced she is now dating X Factor winner Myles Stephenson.

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Prince Harry and Suits actress Meghan Markle began dating in October 2016 and married in May 2018. Their first child is due in Spring 2019.

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After splitting from his wife in early 2018, EVERYBODY was left in shock when reports suggested Channing Tatum is dating pop star Jessie J.

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Love Island host Caroline Flack announced she was dating former star of The Apprentice and Celebrity Big Brother contestant Andrew Brady by uploading a picture of the pair kissing to her social media accounts.

At the end of April 2018, the couple announced their engagement but later announced they'd split up in July 2018.

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Nobody saw a romance between singers Selena Gomez and The Weeknd coming! But they went strong until October 2017 when the pair reportedly split up.

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Cheryl and One Direction singer Liam Payne shocked the world when they announced they were dating back in February 2016. Despite a ten year age gap, the couple welcomed their first child, Bear Grey Payne, back in March 2017. However, in July 2018, Cheryl and Liam released a joint statement revealing they'd split.

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Katy Perry and Russell Brand married in 2010, much to the surprise of fans. Their marriage was short-lived, leading to a divorce in 2012.

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Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston were 2016's most talked about romance! Unfortunately, the couple went their separate ways a year later.

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Rob Kardashian started dating Blac Chyna in 2016, despite her previously dating Rob's sister's ex-boyfriend Tyga. They welcomed a baby girl together called Dream and later ended on very bad terms!

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Fans didn't expect Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews to become a couple! The pair met when they were filming for Channel 4 show The Jump in 2017, got married in June 2018, and welcomed son Theodore in September 2018.

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Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher married in 2010 after a six year engagement. Nobody saw this marriage coming with the unusual movie roles Sacha plays!

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Love Island star Jonny Mitchell and Made In Chelsea's Stephanie Pratt left fans in shock when they confirmed their romance with this picture in September 2017. Sadly, the couple have split in December 2017.

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Actress Cameron Diaz married Benji Madden just two months after she met him, despite many not seeing their romance coming.

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After starring in TV show The Simple Life with her best friend Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie turned a lot of heads when she married Good Charlotte singer Joel Madden in 2010! They share children Harlow and Sparrow.

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After his split from Gwyneth Paltrow, Coldplay singer Chris Martin was spotted getting cosy with The Hunger Games actress Jennifer Lawrence. Despite not actually confirming a romance, the pair reportedly called things off in 2016.

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Fans of actor Aaron Johnson were left in shock when he married Fifty Shades Of Grey director Sam Taylor. Despite Sam being 24 years older than Aaron, the pair combined their surnames when they got married in 2012. They now have two daughters together, Wylda and Romy.

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Olsen twin Mary-Kate married French banker Olivier Sarkozy in 2015, despite a 17-year age gap between the pair.

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Swipe through to see all the surprising celebrity couples we never saw coming...

Gabby Allen and Myles Stephenson

After her split from fellow Love Island star Marcel Somervillle, CBB star Gabby Allen announced she is now dating X Factor winner Myles Stephenson.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Prince Harry and Suits actress Meghan Markle began dating in October 2016 and married in May 2018. Their first child is due in Spring 2019.

Channing Tatum and Jessie J

After splitting from his wife in early 2018, EVERYBODY was left in shock when reports suggested Channing Tatum is dating pop star Jessie J.

Instagram/ Caroline Flack

Andrew Brady and Caroline Flack

At the end of April 2018, the couple announced their engagement but later announced they'd split up in July 2018.

Selena Gomez and The Weeknd

Nobody saw a romance between singers Selena Gomez and The Weeknd coming! But they went strong until October 2017 when the pair reportedly split up.

Cheryl and Liam Payne

Katy Perry and Russell Brand

Katy Perry and Russell Brand married in 2010, much to the surprise of fans. Their marriage was short-lived, leading to a divorce in 2012.

Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston

Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston were 2016's most talked about romance! Unfortunately, the couple went their separate ways a year later.

Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna

Rob Kardashian started dating Blac Chyna in 2016, despite her previously dating Rob's sister's ex-boyfriend Tyga. They welcomed a baby girl together called Dream and later ended on very bad terms!

Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews

Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher

Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher married in 2010 after a six year engagement. Nobody saw this marriage coming with the unusual movie roles Sacha plays!

Stephanie Pratt and Jonny Mitchell

Benji Madden and Cameron Diaz

Actress Cameron Diaz married Benji Madden just two months after she met him, despite many not seeing their romance coming.

Nicole Richie and Joel madden

Chris Martin and Jennifer Lawrence

Sam and Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Mary-Kate Olsen and Olivier Sarkozy

Olsen twin Mary-Kate married French banker Olivier Sarkozy in 2015, despite a 17-year age gap between the pair.

View Gallery18 photos

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Neither Megan or Chelcee have confirmed their split but the ex-Love Islander appeared to throw a healthy dose of shade at her former flame in a cryptic post on her Instagram story that hinted at the split.

25-year-old Megan first shared a quote which read: 2020 is in 3 months: were having good sex with people who deserve us, staying hydrated, leaving behind toxic relationships, communicating our feelings, not letting anyone waste our time, and spoiling ourselves with love!

She then followed it up with another quote, adding: Reminder: relationships are supposed to make you feel good.

Chelcee also seemed to suggest her and Meg had hit the skids by sharing a poem which included the line: Instead of standing by my side, you tricked me into conceding. Into dimming my own light, feeling guilty for succeeding.

Malin Andersson bravely shares photo of bruises in domestic violence awareness post

TOWIE's Chloe Lewis posts adorable first picture of herself with newborn son

Liam Payne goes WEEKS without seeing son Bear and admits 'it hurts'

Megan and Chelcees reported split comes just weeks after the reality stars brutal break-up with Chloe Sims younger sister Demi, who claimed Meg used her and broke her heart.

Demi revealed Megan, who came out as bisexual earlier this year, dumped her just one day after they finished filming Celebs Go Dating and even suggested that Chelcee had asked her on a date before getting with Megan.

She told The Sun: This girl DM'd Megan out the blue. Now she's with her. She had been liking her photos. They both hurt me by going behind my back.

I have known the girl for years. She's one of my best mate's ex-girlfriends. She asked me to go for a drink two weeks before she started messaging Megan."

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Megan Barton-Hanson shares shady post after 'splitting' from girlfriend Chelcee Grimes - Heat World

The Power of TuneCore: Kevin Cornell Interview – DJBooth

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Danzig

Photo Credit: TuneCore

Making music is one thing, but how do you get that music out to prospective fans? Enter TuneCore: a distribution service existing at the intersection of artist education and empowerment. The TuneCore platform acts as a pillar in myriad indieartists careers. Artists like Taylor Bennett and Witt Lowry have used TuneCore to get their music to the masses, fund their creative pursuits, and help them maintain ownership over their careers. If youre an independent artist looking to stay indie, TuneCore is one of the best platforms on the market.

When we found TuneCore, we instantly knew that it was the application we needed to further my music career, Taylor Bennett told us earlier this year. I distributed the project with TuneCore, and on iTunes, it was one of the top five projects. It was next to Drake. For me, as an independent artist, to be able tosee my music next to Drakes music... thats when I fell in love with TuneCore.

So, we know TuneCore works for artists, but how does the platform put in that work? Who is working behind the scenes to make sure artists are getting their dues for their music? To answer these questions, and more, we spoke with Kevin Cornell, TuneCores Content Editor. In talking with Cornell, we get a greater sense of how TuneCore exists to empower and educate artistsand make creatives dreams come true.

Our conversation, lightly edited for content and clarity, follows below.

DJBooth:Whats your favorite part of working at TuneCore?

Kevin Cornell: Ive been here for five years now. The companys just been growing and going positively in the right direction. I would say we hire good people, smart people, tech people, music people. People get along here for a reason. I dont think Ive ever worked somewhere where people are good in and out of work. The common goal is to help artists. The combination of those two things: Being able to support artists as a company, and being able to do it with smart, forward-thinking people, is big.

What would you say is the basic TuneCore value statement?

We benefit from being trusted by independent artists. Independent artists having the ability to get their music online without a label, or a more traditional distributor, has only been a thing for so long. We know that when we make changes or communicate with artists, were building educational content with the artist in mind. They know how to use our platformand why they use our platform. But being able to offer them more is important. Being able to get artists music out to stores, out to streaming platforms, and making sure theyre getting paid 100 percent of what they earn is a big part of that value statement.

Tell me about the more of TuneCore.

Aside from just doing distribution, I have to harp on the fact that we offer music publishing administration.With our YouTube Sound Recording service, were using Content ID to collect artists revenue whenever their songs are being used across YouTube.So if your song is being used across YouTube, youre getting paid for that. The more is also the support level. We have an office here in Brooklyn, full of peoplereal peoplehere to help you out. In the entertainment relations capacity, we have boots on the ground [in] Atlanta, New Orleans, Austin, and Nashville. We have people who are dedicated to helping artists in those territories grow and utilize TuneCore better. But its beyond that.Our Entertainment Relations team members are holding networking/educational events and artist consultations, giving artists a chance to network with each other and people in the industry.

So [artists] may come to learn more about TuneCore, but they may also come to learn more about radio promotions, PR, and publishing. Stuff that is so much more in the hands of the artists these days. Its all about connecting the dots and providing a platform for them to learn.You access a lot of great information online, and theres so much an artist can teach themselves these days, but its overwhelming. So were looking to be a thought-leader with our Artist Advice hub by providing blog articles, Survival Guides, podcast episodes, and more.Its not easy trying to reach a huge artist base across genres and levels of success, but were trying to hit on all those notes and provideas much real-world advice and educationthat isnt behind a paywall. You dont even have to be distributing music yet to get access to it!

Tunecoreheadquarters in Brooklyn, NY.

Talk to me about the empowerment component of TuneCore, the boots-on-the-ground aspect of it.

Our Entertainment Relations team is ready to offer support to artists, managers, and small labels that use TuneCore. Theyre on the ground to be a resource for people. Its giving artists access to information in one central location or throughoutone experience using TuneCore.

When youre using TuneCore, its more than uploading your music. Youre taking control of your distribution and publishing administration, which is stuff you couldnt do [before]. Its underrated how much control you have. The ability to plan. The ability to put a release plan together and build out campaigns on your own This is, to me, what empowerment means. You can market your music across all platforms. You can find out where your fans are in the world and what platforms theyre using.

With TuneCores distribution to over 100 countries worldwide, your releases can truly have a global reach, and thats a huge door-opener for a lot of artists. You might be based in Pennsylvania but have a huge following in South Korea. You might be based in London, but find you have a huge following in South Africa. Thats the coolest. You can get your music everywhere and see where people are listening, and that can impact your tour selection.

For artists looking to use TuneCore, do you have any quick best practices, so they get the most out of the platform?

Number one: Planning and timing. TuneCore can get your music onto platforms pretty quickly, but if youve spent all this time thinking about this project and you put off the actual delivery of it to the last minute? You set yourself up for potential issues.Too many times Ive seen artists do this and say, Oh Im just gonna upload it 72 hours beforehand. No, no! That works for some artists, obviously, but just like anything else, newer artists should be treating this like anything else when theyre managing their music career: with careful consideration and preparation. Youre not going to start your PR campaign a week before the release. You need lead time. Treat your release like a label would. Its the best practice to get into when youre managing your career.

Every release is an opportunity to learn. What did your stats look like? This can influence the way you market your music on social. If youre gonna look at your Facebook post engagement, you shouldlook at whats going on with your last release.Going back to the global reach that TuneCore provides artists, you can start experimenting with marketing to new territories.Why not start looking at those London blogs? Everyone harps on the fact theres never been a better time to be an indie artist. I dont disagree with that at all, but we overlook the time, research, and planning that goes into a good release campaign.TuneCore offers a suite of Artist Services that can help with that.

Whats the best part of being the facilitator for artists dreams?

That is such a heavy title! People are genuinely appreciative of what we do, and thats awesome. Im an indie music fan, living and working in Brooklyn. If I were an accountant at Yelp, Id still be listening to indie music and going to shows. To me, this is an opportunity to take what I care about outside of workand think about it at work.

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The Power of TuneCore: Kevin Cornell Interview - DJBooth

Technology exposed Syrian war crimes over and over. Was it for nothing? – MIT Technology Review

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Danzig

On April 23, 2014, Houssam Alnahhas slid into the back seat of a car in the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep and headed for the Syrian border, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) away. A tall 26-year-old medical student with striking gray eyes, he had escaped Syria two years before and was working for a task force training medical personnel in opposition-held areas. But now he was heading back with a mission: to collect evidence of war crimes.

Two weeks earlier, Alnahhas had started receiving reports that barrel bombs were being dropped on towns in the countrys rural northwest. He was used to such news in his work, but this time was different. Usually the crude devices were packed with explosives and shrapnel. But doctors were telling him these latest bombs were releasing poisonous clouds of chlorine gas.

Chlorine gas had rarely been used as a weapon since World War I, and its use in Syria would be a major violation of international norms. Western governments wanted to know if there was proof. And so, over the next two days, he and two of his friends visited two villages that had allegedly been hitKafr Zita and Talmenesto see what had taken place.

The trip was dangerous. They were close to the front lines of the civil war, where rocket, mortar, and sniper fire were common. If agents of the Syrian regime got word of what they were doing, their lives would be in peril: Alnahhas had heard rumors that someone whod collected evidence from a chemical attack a year earlier had been assassinated while attempting to bring it to Turkey.

But the threat of violence wasnt the only thing weighing on his mind. Alnahhas knew that many groupssupporters of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, the Russian and Iranian governments, online conspiracy theoristswould use any opportunity to insist that chemical--weapons attacks were false-flag operations or outright hoaxes. And since he was acting on his own, without institutional backing, he wanted to make sure the evidence he collected was unimpeachable.

As soon as he crossed the border, Alnahhas started tracking his coordinates using GPS and recording the trip on video. In the two villages, residents described witnessing yellowish-orange smoke rising after helicopters dropped barrel bombs. Doctors explained how they treated victimswomen, men, young and elderly peoplewho were terrified, coughing violently and struggling to breathe. They handed over blood, urine, saliva, and hair samples they had collected.

There were dead birds scattered across the ground, and the leaves on the plants and trees were dead, even though it was springtime. The smell of chlorine still hung in the air, causing him to cough and his eyes to water.

At the spots where the bombs had fallen, Alnahhas recorded 360-degree video of the surroundings, focusing on identifiable landmarks so the locations could be independently verified. He collected soil samples in small plastic containers, triple-sealing them in clear plastic bags and labeling them in front of the camera.

In Kafr Zita, he gathered pieces of shrapnel and measured heavy, rusted barrels bent, mangled, and peeled apart by the impact and detonation. There were three long canisters, two still lodged inside the barrels, covered in chipped yellow paint, the color often used to mark industrial chlorine gas. The chemical symbol Cl2 was still clearly visible on the ruptured nose of one.

In Talmenes, in the dimming evening light, Alnahhas filmed an impact crater in the backyard of a house. There were dead birds scattered across the ground, and the leaves on the plants and trees were dead, even though it was springtime. The smell of chlorine still hung in the air, causing him to cough and his eyes to water.

To be honest, Alnahhas says, this was the scariest time of my life.

Syria was one of the first major conflicts of the social-media era. Local access to Facebook had been restricted since 2007 as the government tried to limit online political activism. But by February 2011, when the Assad regime unblocked many social-media siteseither as a nod toward reform or as a way to track its opponentsthey had become major forces across the globe, and many Syrians had cell phones with cameras and access to high-speed internet.

Soon afterwards, protests broke out in the south of the country and quickly spread. The government cracked down brutally, and activists, lawyers, medical workers, and ordinary citizens started using Facebook and YouTubeoften at great personal riskto record the violence and show it to the world.

Initial efforts were haphazard, and mostly involved people uploading shaky cell-phone video and using accounts with fake names to protect themselves. But before long the push to document what was happening became more organized and sophisticated. Media offices and local news agencies mushroomed. By early 2012, international organizations had begun training local activists on professional production standards and online security and helping them to record their videos. The idea wasnt just to release clips to the media, but to gather evidence that could be used to pursue justice in the future.

Volunteers took videos and photos at the scenes of attacks and potential war crimes, compiled detailed medical reports, recorded victim and witness statements, and smuggled reams of documents out of captured government buildings. Civil society groups such as the Syrian Archive and the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre collected millions of pieces of potential evidencesome of it made public, some filed away in protected archives.

The material collected by Syrians allowed people far away from the actual fighting to take part in the investigative efforts too. In 2012 Eliot Higgins, then an unemployed British blogger, began sifting through videos and photos posted from Syria, trying to identify the weapons being used; later he started a website, Bellingcat, and assembled a team of volunteer analysts.

Pioneering the technique of open-source investigation, Higgins and his team pieced together evidence suggesting that Syrian government forces were using chemical weapons and cluster bombs, that Russian forces had attacked hospitals in the country, and that ISIS was using small, commercially available drones to drop 40mm grenades onto targets.

Back then, many people working at the intersection of technology and human rights shared a belief in the power of social media and digital connectivity to do good, according to Jay D. Aronson, head of the Center for Human Rights Science at Carnegie Mellon University. People thought that if were able to document these war crimes and these human rights violations and were able to share them with the world, then that will create political will that will lead countries to intervene and protect vulnerable populations, he says.

Spurred on by such optimism and the encouragement of Western politicians, such efforts made the Syrian conflict the most thoroughly documented in human history.

Thanks to frontline investigators like Houssam Alnahhas, local outfits like the Syrian Archive, and online analysts from Bellingcat, detailed information about what was happening on the ground was there. Someone just needed to act on it.

When Alnahhas returned to Turkey with the evidence hed collected in Kafr Zita and Talmenes, he met up with a British chemical weapons expert who tested some of the samples. The analysis confirmed that they contained a high enough concentration of chlorine to kill people. The evidence clearly showed that the Syrian government, the only fighting force with helicopters at the time, had indiscriminately bombed civilians with chlorine gasa war crime.

International media picked up on the story; human rights organizations published reports; the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons launched a fact-finding mission. The remaining samples were given to the Western governments who were interested, and then Alnahhas waited.

Nothing.

Last summer I met Ahmad al-Mohammad, a soft-spoken activist and communications director of the Syrian Institute for Justice, in Istanbul. He had been a 19-year-old agriculture student at Aleppo University when the uprising began in 2011.

The Syrian protesters were optimistic back then. The US had just led an international military intervention to protect civilians in Libya from the advancing army of former leader Muammar Qaddafi. We listened to a lot of speeches from the president of America, Obama, said al--Mohammad. We had hope, honestly, that the West would intervene and remove Bashar al-Assad.

And in 2012, Obama declared the use of chemical weapons in Syria a red line. The world is watching, he warned Assad. If you make the tragic mistake of using [chemical] weapons, there will be consequences, and you will be held accountable.

Obamas resolve was put to the test on the morning of August 21, 2013. Syrian government forces launched rockets loaded with sarin gas, a deadly nerve agent, at the rebel-held enclave of Ghouta, on the outskirts of Damascus. It was by far the deadliest and most visible chemical attack of the war. Syrian activists quickly uploaded photos and videos of the casualties, many of them women and children, their faces blue from suffocation. The estimated death toll ranged from around 350 to more than 1,400.

Emily Haasch

The USdriven forward by the red line rhetoricprepared to launch military strikes. The regime hunkered down. But at the last minute, Obama pulled back. Instead of using force, he opted for a deal brokered by Russia, which resulted in the Syrian governments signing on to the Chemical Weapons Convention and agreeing to declare its stockpiles and destroy them by mid-2014.

For people in opposition-held areas, the decision was crushing. We lost hope that anyone would [stand] up and say enough killing civilians inside Syria, Mohammed Abdullah, a Syrian photographer who goes by Artino and who was in Eastern Ghouta at the time of the attack, told me.

And then, despite its promise to dismantle its chemical weapons program, the Syrian government launched chlorine gas strikes in April 2014the ones Alnahhas documented. They were another clear violation of Obamas red line. When the outside world again failed to take strong action, Assads government continued to push the envelope. According to a report by the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi), a think tank in Berlin, this was when the Syrian government began integrating the use of chemical weapons, especially chlorine gas, into its arsenal of indiscriminate violence.

Assads strategy was directed against civilians living in opposition-held residential areas far from the front lines. Life-sustaining social institutionsbakeries, hospitals, and marketswere often targeted with a brutality that forced people to choose between surrender, exile, and death. Tobias Schneider, one of the GPPi reports authors, refers to it as the military utility of crimes against humanity. The use of chemical weapons was the last couple of meters, he told me.

Heavier than air, poison gas sinks into basements and bunkers, suffocating and terrifying people sheltering from conventional bombs and weapons. Even if the chemical attacks often didnt kill large numbers of people, they showed that there is absolutely nowhere you can hide and theres absolutely nothing [the regime] can do that will make the international community stop [the violence], Schneider added.

The Syrian government has used chemical weapons more than 330 times so far, according to data collected by GPPi. The vast majority of these incidentsmore than 300 of themtook place after the attacks in Ghouta, Kafr Zita, and Talmenes.

For Alnahhas, the lesson was clear.

After providing evidence all the time, at a certain point you stop to believe that it will be effective, he said. The main thing that I know is that neither I nor the people inside Syria trusted the international community anymore.

Many people who had been documenting the war were forced to leave Syria as it grew more violent. Some decided to focus on putting their lives back together, to finish their studies or start families. For many of those who remained in Syria, the work of documentation became too dangerous as the areas they were in fell under regime control.

But other activists have decided to take a longer-term view. Although the documentation efforts have failed to shift the course of the war, Syria has produced arguably the largest evidence base on war crimes ever recorded. Civil society organizations are sifting through the data, organizing it, and using it to build case files for prosecutions. Courts in Germany, France, and Sweden are already trying cases. Arrest warrants have been issued for several high-ranking members of the Assad regime, and charges have been brought against European companies for violating sanctions imposed on the Syrian government. The Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), a human rights litigation team, is working with the Syrian Archive to develop case files on a number of attacks, including the attack in Talmenes that Alnahhas documented.

Al-Mohammad has scars on his face from having his jaw fractured in seven places when security forces threw him from the second story of a building during a protest in 2012.

Open-source information has radically transformed how we investigate, collect, and analyze information, Steve Kostas, a lawyer with OSJI, told me by email. We use it to establish a factual narrative of the attacks, to identify possible witnesses, [and] to identify and learn about suspected perpetrators. Still, says Beth Van Schaack, a visiting professor at Stanford Law School who previously worked on Syria at the US State Department, the prosecutions so far have been mostly against lower-level individuals, opposition figures, [ISIS] members, and not the kinds of war crimes that have really come to characterize this war.

Holding the true architects of the Syrian governments war strategy responsible would require unity from other governments. But Russia has repeatedly blocked efforts to start an international process of justice and accountability; for example, it vetoed a 2014 UN Security Council resolution referring Syria to the International Criminal Court. The UN created a body called the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism to gather evidence for future cases, but until this moment, we dont have any court or entity that has jurisdiction over crimes committed in Syria, says Deyaa Alrwishdi, a Syrian lawyer who has been involved in accountability efforts since 2011.

It now seems all but inevitable that the Assad regimehelped by Russia and Iranwill emerge victorious from the war. It may be decades, if ever, before its truly held accountable.

We get hope when we look at the former Yugoslavia and how victims and survivors from Bosnia and Herzegovina did eventually get justice. That gives us hope to keep holding on, al-Mohammad, from the Syrian Institute for Justice, told me in Istanbul.

He has scars on his face from having his jaw fractured in seven places when security forces threw him from the second story of a building during a protest in 2012. Two members of the documentation team he manages in Syria were killed while carrying out their work. And he has watched countless hours of video showing one brutal atrocity after another, giving him nightmares. His family is still in Syria, and he worries that they will be punished by the regime as retribution for his actions.

Emily Haasch; illustration source imagery courtesy of the author

Its hard for him to see a path forward or a way to return home. Me and my friends, we sit down and we talk about it a lot we dont really know where we are going, he says. At the end of the day, people like usour future in a Syria without justice is just death or prison.

Yet al-Mohammad and others have continued to record evidence of the crimes taking place. At some point, he says, it stopped being about what the international community would or wouldnt do; it became about Syrian people taking control of their own stories. My goal became to document my countrys history, he says.

When I met Alnahhas in Gaziantep earlier this summer, he told me he felt the same way. We talked at an outdoor caf, surrounded by the mundane bustle of a busy town. Syria, just a few miles down the road, seemed far away. In the years since his dangerous trip to document the chemical weapons attacks, he had gone to a Turkish university to finish his medical degree, married, and started a family. He couldnt imagine returning home.

He told me about three of his friends, young students who had volunteered to provide care to injured protesters in the early days of the uprising. They were stopped at a regime checkpoint, and medical supplies were found in their car. Days later, their bodies were returned to their families, burned beyond recognition. Years later, his efforts to document the chemical attacks in Kafr Zita and Talmenes hadnt changed anything; people were still being murdered with impunity.

At the same time, he said, you cannot simply say that Ill not continue. If nothing else, documenting has given him and others like him a certain mission. History is written by the strongest, he said, echoing the familiar adage. Without proper evidence the regime will be able to, at a certain point, say No, this never happened; [it] will be able to manipulate the history of the Syrian crisis maybe to avoid punishment. So this is our responsibility.

Eric Reidy is a journalist based in the Middle East.

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Technology exposed Syrian war crimes over and over. Was it for nothing? - MIT Technology Review

Lost albums of the 2010s what became of the albums we were promised but that never arrived? – NME Live

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Danzig

As the decade heads to a close, we remember some of the albums that were promised, scrapped or simply havent arrived over the last ten years

While everyones brains are firmly fixed on the best albums of the 2010s (NMEs definitive list is coming in November) its worth taking a moment to remember those that we never got to hear.

Whether thats full albums that were scrapped in favour of the band or artist starting over, records leaked without the artists consent and never to be heard in their full and finished form, albums that have been promised for years now but still havent been released, or, in one case, a record literally being destroyed, there are some notable omissions from the best-of lists.

Weve dug into the lost albums of the 2010s, why they were never released, and whether we can hope to hear them at some point in the future.

Planned release date: September 29, 2018What happened? Two days before the planned release of Yandhi, Kanye played music from the album featuring XXXTentacion, 6ix9ine and more to The FADER at their headquarters. After a leaked tracklisting came out, the album was delayed until that November. The same month, West tweeted that Yandhi wasnt actually finished and that hed announce the release date once its done.Will we ever hear it? With Kanye reportedly set to release new album Jesus Is King before the end of 2019, hes got other things on his mind. In September 2019, though, it was revealed that Ye is attempting to trademark the term Yandhi, leading to speculation that the album could indeed be on the way. The saga continues.

Planned release date: 2016/2017What happened?Outside the Crouch End Studios in London in 2016, Ian Brown confirmed to NME that The Stone Roses were recording new music, calling it glorious and saying it would arrive soon. It came three years after Mani said the band were working on a few bits of new music. Over the next few years, the band continued to play reunion shows with no new music surfacing, and in 2017 the bands biographerJohn Robb revealed that plans for the album had broken down, saying:Between the four of them, there was a great third album in them. If they could have just made a record without caring about the pressure of expectation or commercial expectation. If they could have just jammed for 45 minutes, it would have been a great record.Will we ever hear it? With John Squire confirming earlier this year that the band have indeed broken up, it seems very, very unlikely but never say never.

Planned release date: 2018 0r 2019What happened? After waiting 22 years for m b v, the massively anticipated Loveless follow-up, My Bloody Valentine fans werent expecting another new record for a while. However, Kevin Shields told Sound On Sound magazine in April 2018 that the band were working on two EPs, with one released that summer, and a second to follow in spring 2019. He then said in another chat the prospective first EP was being used instead as part of a new album, before scaling up his ambitions again, stating a plan to release two new albums in 2019.Will we ever hear it? Theres a fair chance that the music that the band have been teasing (and also debuted live), will see the light of day, but specifics around what form it might take, or even a vague release date, are pretty much still up in the air.

Planned release date: Unknown (leaked online in April 2013)What happened? After becoming the buzziest name around with 2012 single Jasmine, the elusive Londoner had an albums worth of demos and in-progress material stolen and illegally uploaded to Bandcamp. Paul stayed silent on the issue himself for six years before discussing the situation and officially uploading Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones) online, alongside the release of two new songs. Ive grown to appreciate that people have enjoyed that music and lived with it, and I accept that there is no way to put that shit back in the box, he wrote at the time. Looking back, its sad to think about what could have been, but it is what it is and I had to let go.Will we ever hear it? Not in the way that Jai Paul intended us to, at least. The official release and accompanying message have drawn a line under the recordings, and the singer (presumably) continues to work on what will actually become his debut album.

Planned release date: 2018What happened? In March 2018, Brockhampton announced that fourth studio album Team Effort, announced at the end of 2017 with the release of their Saturation III LP, was delayed indefinitely, and that theyd instead release another album called Puppy in mid-2018. That May, though, troublingallegations were made about member Ameer Vann, who was promptly kicked out of the group, leading to Puppy being delayed. After cancelled tour dates and a period of silence, the band made their comeback on the Jimmy Fallon show sans Vann, playing new song I, Tonya and announcing a new album called iridescence, effectively putting the non-era of Team Effort and Puppy to bed.Will we ever hear it? Releasing iridescence and fifth album Ginger since, theres pretty much zero chance that Team Effort and/or Puppy will ever surface.

Planned release date: 2015-presentWhat happened? Less than two years after her standout debut Night Time, My Time, Ferreira announced that her second album was called Masochism. The name has remained constant until now, though little else has. Through countless promises of new music have come and gone, along with messages discussing various logistical issues as reasoning for the albums delay it was only in summer of 2019 that she released Downhill Lullaby, the first single from Masochism. The album still has no release date, though, and it looks almost certain that well be waiting into the 2020s to hear it.Will we ever hear it? Almost certainly, but after seven years and a great deal of confusion, the question of when we might hear it is as open-ended as ever.

Planned release date: September 2016What happened? After being delayed from an original autumn 2016 date into the following year, a whole album of Charli demos dubbed XCX World by fans and destined for her third studio album was leaked in a similar turn of events to those that afflicted Jai Paul. It led her to start again on what would become LP3.Will we ever hear it? With third album Charli released in September 2019, featuring none of the songs supposedly set for XCX World, the album seems destined to live in demo form forever.

Planned release date: 2017-2018What happened? Speaking to Timeabout 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy, Abel Tesfaye revealed that prior to the EP, he had finished an album that he describes as beautiful and upbeat. Prior to Melancholy, I had a whole album written, done, which wasnt melancholy at all because it was a different time in my life, he said. He went on to explain that the record was shelved because it didnt reflect his feelings at the time, saying: I dont want to perform something that I dont feel.Will we ever hear it? The verdict is pretty conclusive on this one. Asked whether fans could ever hear the record, The Weeknd simply said: Never. Sorry!

Planned release date: 2018What happened? At the end of 2018, Machine Gun Kelly posted a message to fans, celebrating his music receiving half a billion streams. During the message, he said I didnt give you the 4th album and I cant stop thinking about that, revealing that he had a whole new album ready to go before scrapping it and starting from scratch. Saying that hes now got a firm title in mind for the new record, Kelly concluded: This ones from the soul.Will we ever hear it? Maybe one day in the future, but definitely not for the time being.

Planned release date: 2011What happened? Noel decided it was shit, basically. Ahead of his 2011 solo debut album, Gallagher had collaborated with production duo Amorphous Androgynous, and theyd written an album together. However, as Noel explained to NME in 2015, I was in the middle of a tour, that last album had blown up, the mixes werent right. And by the time I got back off tour I was just like, Im not fucking putting out another record, I cant be arsed. I was frazzled and had glandular fever. I was fucked.Will we ever hear it? The Right Stuff and The Mexican, from Noels solo Chasing Yesterday LP, were originally songs from the AA collaboration, but hearing any more will be literally impossible Noel owned the master recording of the album and destroyed it.

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Lost albums of the 2010s what became of the albums we were promised but that never arrived? - NME Live

Just Following Orders? Why Extremism is a Choice – Clarion Project

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Danzig

(Illustrative photo: Flickr/Manuel)

Radicalization is something that has come to be viewed as an excuse for joining extremist groups and following orders to committing all sorts of horrific acts. But except in the case of children, extremism is always a choice. Read why.

Terrorists use sophisticated tactics to lure recruits into their movement. They prey on psychological weaknesses, making the target feel special, powerful and marked out for a glorious destiny. The mind-control techniques they use are highly advanced and will work on many people.

None of that takes away from the moral culpability that anyone who becomes a terrorist holds for their actions.

Heres why:

There is a long standing principle in hypnosis that all hypnosis is really self-hypnosis. That is, you cant hypnotize someone to do something that isnt somewhere in their subconscious or something they want to do on some level.

All you can do is bring people into a relaxed state of mind where they are more susceptible to suggestion.

You cant, for example, use mind control techniques to make gay people straight, despite the millions of dollars invested by Christian organizations to try and develop an effective method of doing so.

Extremists convince people to act in what the tell people are their best interests. They offer incentives so that doing what the movement wants gives the recruit some kind of payoff.

This becomes much easier when the extremist group can provide benefits to the target, for example, social camaraderie, a clear structure for how to live and a well defined mission to devote yourself to are all benefits of joining an extremist movement.

But the brainwashing cant do more than heavily influence a person.

When a person gives in to mind control in a cult, they make a decision to abdicate responsibility for making choices and turn it over to the cult leader or organizers.

When a person stops thinking for himself or herself and takes on the attitudes of the cult, even under pressure, he or she is making a choice.

True, that choice may be heavily influenced. Humans are highly adaptable creatures who long to fit in and be successful within the context of a group.

Extremists use many tactics to induce a sense of identification with the group and a shift in core beliefs. This may include extremely coercive tactics like isolation, sleep deprivation, pushing drugs on the recruit or even encouraging them to commit crimes to bind themselves to the new group.

Sleep deprivation and strict dietary control, in particular, can sap a persons energy and make it extremely difficult for them to think clearly about what is going on.

But unless the person is being physically held against their will, they still have a choice to resist brainwashing techniques and remove themselves from the situation.

This is what makes education so critical. If people are taught to recognize the techniques and tactics which groups use in brainwashing, they can learn to walk away from those sorts of situations.

Steve Hassans Bite Model is a good resource for the main methods cults use to indoctrinate people.

Ive come to view what happened to me is a viral, memetic infection, ex-Moonie Diane Benscoter said in a TED Talk. For those of you who arent familiar with memetics, a meme has been defined as an idea that replicates in the human brain and moves from brain to brain like a virus, much like a virus. The way a virus works is it can infect and do the most damage to someone who has a compromised immune system.

In other words, an extremist group can take over your mind when your resistance is low.

However, if a person commits crimes while a member of an extremist group, it is important to note that courts do not accept claims of mind control as a defense.

In a classic case, in 1976 Patty Hearst, heiress to the Hearst media fortune, shocked America by joining the Symbionese Liberation Army after they kidnapped, tortured and brainwashed her. She participated in the groups activities including bank robbing. Such was her commitment at the time that she did not run away from the group despite later having the opportunity to escape.

When she was finally caught, her lawyer attempted to argue she had been the victim of brainwashing. The jury did not accept it, and she was sentenced to 35 years imprisonment, later reduced to seven.

President Carter later commuted her sentence to two years.

More recently Smallville Actress Allison Mack pleaded guilty to helping NXIM cult leader Keith Raniere induct women into his sex cult. Among the allegations are that women were trafficked and branded.

Despite the brainwashing these women were subjected to, their crimes were still considered crimes and were treated as such by the courts.

A Dr. Phil episode featured a father who was a member of a cult who turned his 13-year old daughter over to the cult leader to rape as a bride within the church. Dr. Phil unpacks the situation and explains that there is no amount of brainwashing which could override his duty as father.

It is worth watching the clip:

The Surprising (and Successful) Use ofLoveby Extremists

WhyExtremismIsnt About Economics

How Generation Wealth Is a Boon for IslamistExtremists

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Just Following Orders? Why Extremism is a Choice - Clarion Project

Psoriasis Associated With Increased Risk of Cancer and Mortality – DocWire News

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Danzig

Patients with psoriasis have an increased risk of cancer and cancer-related mortality, according to a study published in JAMA Dermatology.

Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies from MEDLINE, Embase, MEDLINE in Process, Cochrane Central Register, Web of Science, and LILACS through November 2017. They included cohort and case-control studies that provided estimates of the risk of cancer incidence or cancer mortality associated with psoriasis.

A total of 58 studies were included, with quality varying for the incidence and the mortality studies.

Severe psoriasis (relative risk [RR] = 1.22; 95% CI, 1.08-1.39) and all severities of psoriasis (RR=1.18; 95% CI, 1.06-1.31) were associated with an overall increased risk of cancer. These associations were observed among the following cancer types:

Overall cancer mortality risk was higher in patients with severe psoriasis (RR=1.22; 95% CI, 1.08-1.38). The following cancers were associated with increased mortality among patients with severe psoriasis:

The researchers noted that the heterogeneity of estimates was often very high despite stratification. Reduced risk was observed in studies that adjusted estimates for smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity.

Future research examining specific lifestyle factors, treatments, and the inflammatory processes that contribute to psoriasis may help provide additional information on the underlying mechanisms for the apparent increased cancer risk, the researchers concluded.

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Psoriasis Associated With Increased Risk of Cancer and Mortality - DocWire News

UCB psoriasis drug beats J&J’s second top-selling product in Phase III study – MedCity News

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Danzig

A drug made by Johnson & Johnson for psoriasis that is one of the biggest revenue generators in its portfolio could be under threat in the future following the success of a new competitor in a Phase III study.

Brussels-based UCB said Thursday that results of its BE VIVID study showed that its antibody, bimekizumab, was superior in its efficacy against J&Js Stelara (ustekinumab) in adult patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis.

The company did not disclose the full results, which it said would be presented in due course, but stated that the trial met the primary endpoint of showing at least a 90 percent improvement in psoriasis area and severity index or PASI90 and an investigator global assessment score of clear or almost clear after 16 weeks. The safety profile was consistent with the Phase II BE ABLE studies.

BE VIVID randomizes patients to receive bimekizumab for one year, Stelara for one year with placebo at certain time points to maintain blinding or placebo for 16 weeks followed by bimekizumab for the remainder of the study period. Bimekizumab is an IgG1 antibody tat neutralizes IL-17A and IL-17F, two key cytokines that drive inflammation.

These encouraging first results provide strong evidence that bimekizumab has the potential to raise the bar for achieving skin clearance rates in patients, investigator Dr. Mark Lebwohl of New Yorks Icahn School of Medicine said in a statement. Achieving clear skin is of critical importance in positively impacting the lives of psoriasis patients.

Stelara, which was approved in 2009, was J&Js second largest product in 2018, accounting for about 6.3 percent of its total sales for the year, with global sales of about $5.2 billion, according to its 2018 annual report. U.S. patents for Stelara are expected to expire in 2023 due to a patent term extension, followed by expiration in Europe the following year. The companys top-selling product is the autoimmune disease drug Remicade (infliximab), which had sales of $5.3 billion and which already has biosimilar competitors.

In the Phase IIb BE ABLE 1 trial, which randomized patients to various dose levels of bimekizumab or placebo, patients treated with the drug showed a statistically significant dose-dependent response for PASI90, with 46.2-79.1 percent of patients achieving it, compared with 0 percent in the placebo arm. In addition, 27.9-60 percent of bimekizumab-treated patients achieved PASI100, also compared with 0 percent in the placebo arm. Treatment-emergent adverse events occurred among 126 of the 208 patients treated with bimekizumab, compared with 15 of 42 who received placebo.

Photo: juststock, Getty Images

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UCB psoriasis drug beats J&J's second top-selling product in Phase III study - MedCity News

UCB tries to win some respect in the crowded psoriasis market with a dual IL-17 approach and it won’t be easy – Endpoints News

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Danzig

For a pharma company with about $5 billion in revenue, a couple of respectably sized blockbuster drugs on the market and some high-profile partners like Amgen, Belgiums UCB has kept an unusually low profile on the pipeline side of things over the years.

Until now.

Just days after striking a $2.1 billion deal to buy Ra Pharmaceuticals and its C5 rival to Soliris, UCB is posting positive top-line Phase III results for a dual IL-17 inhibitor that its steering into one of the most competitive commercial spaces in the industry. And despite plenty of obvious challenges as they struggle to roll out Evenity with Amgen and patent expirations loom on its franchise drugs, including Cimzia, the company just may be ready to tackle some of the biggest players on the planet.

In their first of 3 Phase III studies for bimekizumab, researchers touted top-line wins on statistically significant results on clearing plaque psoriasis, including a victory over J&Js IL-23 contender Stelara on key endpoints. The drug targets both IL-17A and IL-17F, a modification on the IL-17A strategy laid out for Taltz (Eli Lilly) and Cosentyx (Novartis). And the new group also includes J&Js Tremfya and AbbVies Skyrizi.

We dont know the PASI90 and IGA scores but UCB knows that with the kind of heavyweight competition it faces with Novartis and others, marginal gains for patients wont stack up. So well be watching for the hard numbers. And theres another head-to-head with Cosentyx that will play a big role in pushing up analysts projections on peak sales, which currently fall well short of blockbuster status.

UCB hasnt exactly been in the spotlight for the last few years, but its in a position now that the company has to win some respect in R&D, with blockbuster projects that can keep investors attention at a time the industry is experiencing booming R&D development efforts around the planet.

It hasnt been easy. There was a setback on a lupus drug partnered with Biogen. But there have been some advances, with a deal to buy Proximagens NDA-ready nasal spray therapy USL261, designed as a rescue therapy for acute repetitive seizures, for $150 million in cash and another $220 million in sales and regulatory milestones. There was even a report that the company was kicking the deflated tires at Acorda, though nothing came of that.

Late last year UCB also committed to spend up to 200 million on a new R&D hub in the UK.

That may not translate into a lot of excitement right now, but theyre trying. And theres a subtle promise that more deals may be in the works.

Social image: UCB

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UCB tries to win some respect in the crowded psoriasis market with a dual IL-17 approach and it won't be easy - Endpoints News

Eli Lilly Reports Earnings Tomorrow. Heres What to Expect. – Barron’s

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Danzig

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The drugmaker Eli Lilly has struggled this year, with the stock down 6.7% in 2019. That is well behind the broader S&P 500 health-care sector, which is up 6%, and the broader S&P 500, which is up 19.9% since the start of the year.

The company will make its case on Wednesday morning when it unveils its third-quarter earnings. Lilly has scheduled a conference call for 9 a.m. ET.

The earnings report comes weeks after a double-dose of good news for Eli Lilly (ticker: LLY). Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration approved the companys migraine drug Reyvow, and the company unveiled positive data on its drug Taltz in pediatric patients with plaque psoriasis, all in the space of two days.

Eli Lilly stock trades at 16.9 times its estimated earnings over the next 12 months, slightly below its five-year average of 19.8 times earnings.

Heres a snapshot of investors expectations and recent history.

Wall Street analysts expect earnings of $1.39 per share in the third quarter, according to FactSet, and sales of $5.5 billion.

In a note out October 18, J.P. Morgan analyst Chris Schott wrote that he expected growth on the sale of core products. Strong product trends continue despite competition, Schott wrote.

The companys anti-inflammatory drug Taltz is facing an increasingly crowded field, including AbbVies (ABBV) new drug Skyrizi and other drugs from Novartis (NVS), Celgene (CELG). Still, Schott wrote that Taltz has shown relatively healthy performance despite the Skyrizi launch.

On October 16, Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst Geoff Meacham issued a Buy rating on Lilly, writing that he viewed the risk/reward profile in Lilly as compelling, and setting a $133 price target on the stock.

The company has reported some promising data in recent months, including a strong response rate for its drug LOXO-292 in some lung cancer patients, and the data on Taltz in pediatric patients with plaque psoriasis.

In July, Lilly reported earnings per share of $1.50, beating Wall Street expectations of $1.45 just slightly. The company attributed the beat to an increase in volume.

Write to Josh Nathan-Kazis at josh.nathan-kazis@barrons.com

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Eli Lilly Reports Earnings Tomorrow. Heres What to Expect. - Barron's

The Best Artificial Intelligence Books you Need to Read Today – Edgy Labs

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Danzig

If youre looking for a selection of the top artificial intelligence books, the offerings could be overwhelming. But were here to help with that.

Artificial intelligence is slowly and steadily making its way through pretty much every system humans have created.

AI-powered agents are getting increasingly smarter as they hone their problem-solving and decision-making skills.

On the other hand, humans avail themselves of AI as much as possible. But, theyre called to adapt and learn to coexist with machines if they are to, at best, thrive, or survive, at the worst.

As far as humans are concerned, intelligent agents cut both ways.

Thankfully, the worlds leading scientists and thinkers help us understand whats at stake and the best damage control measures to take if need be.

Many books deal with AI theory, modern AI sciences, and the technologys future implications.

The ones listed below are some of the best artificial books today that dissect all of these areas.

1. Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

As befits the topic, we start our list with a comprehensive introduction into AI technology: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence. Written by Phillip C. Jackson, Jr., the book is one of the classics thats still read by experts in the field and non-specialists alike.

This book provides a summary of the previous two decades of research into the science of computer reasoning, and where it could be heading. Published in 1985, some of the information might be outdated, but if nothing else, the book could serve as a valuable historical document.

2. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach

Another classic is Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, written by Stuart Russell and Peter Norvig.

No list on the best artificial intelligence books can fail to mention this bestseller that has become a standard book for AI students. Used as a textbook in hundreds of universities around the world, the book was first published in 1995. A third edition came out in 2009.

You may want to check this book to know why its described as the most popular artificial intelligence textbook in the world.

3. Life 3.0

This book is one of my personal favorites, by one of the leading physicists and cosmologists in the world, Max Tegmark, aka Mad Max.

Tegmarks Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence welcomes you to the most important conversation of our time. The MIT physics professor explores the future of AI and how it would reshape many facets of human life, from jobs to wars. Hes one of those thinking AI is a double-edged sword, and its really up to us to give it free rein.

Elon Musk recommends this book as worth reading, recapping that AI could be the best or worst thing.

4. How to Create a Mind

How to Create a Mind The Secret of Human Thought Revealed is a book by famous futurist and tech visionary Ray Kurzweil.

Kurzweil discusses the notion of mind and how it emerges from the brain, and the attempts of scientists to recreate human intelligence. He predicts that by 2020, computers would be powerful enough to simulate an entire human brain.

Kurzweil offers some interesting thought experiments on thinking. in the book. For example, most people can recite the alphabet correctly, but most would fail at reciting it backward as easily. The reason for this, according to the author, has to do with the memory formation process. The brain stores memories as hierarchical sequences only accessible in the order theyre remembered in.

5. Superintelligence Paths, Dangers, Strategies

Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom is known for his work on major existential risks. He includes the superintelligence threat among the bunch.

A poorly-programmed or a flawed superintelligence

In Superintelligence Paths, Dangers, Strategies, Bostrom questions whether smart algorithms would spell the end of humanity or be a catalyst for a better future.

A New York Times bestseller, Bostrom argues that superintelligent machines left unchecked could replace humans as the dominant lifeform on Earth.

6. Weapons of Math Destruction

AI is all about Big Data, and the algorithms that work off of it. And thats the focus of the book titled Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy ONeil, a data scientist at Harvard University,

In the book, the author explores how math, at the heart of data and by extension AI, could be manipulated and biased. The Author discusses the negative social implications of AI and how it could be a threat to democracy.

ONeil identifies three factorsscale, secrecy, and destructivenessthat could turn an AI algorithm into a Weapon of Math Destruction.

7. Our Final Invention

Its thanks to their brains not brawn that humans dominated Earth and reigned supreme over other species. Now, a human invention, AI, is posing a potential threat to this dominance.

Our Final Invention: Artificial Intelligence And The End Of The Human Era is a book by American documentary filmmaker James Barrat.

According to the author, while human intelligence stagnates, machines are getting smarter and would soon surpass humans cognitive abilities. Superintelligent artificial species could develop survival drives that could eventually lead them to clash with humans.

8. The Sentient Machine

Unlike other books on this list, The Sentient Machine The Coming Age of Artificial Intelligence provides a more optimistic look at AI.

In the book, inventor and techpreneur Amir Husainunlike Bostrom, Tegmark, and Muskthinks humans can thrive with AI, not just survive.

Weighing AIs risk and potential, Husain thinks we should embrace AI and let sentient machines lead us to a bright future. This isnt some void utopian daydreaming! The authors approach is based on scientific, cultural, and historical arguments. He also provides a wide-ranging discussion on what makes us humans and our role as creators in the world.

9. The Fourth Age

We find another optimistic take on AI in The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity.

In this book, author Byron Reese manages to both engage and entertain the reader with his insights into history and projections for the future. According to Reese, the human civilization went through three major disruptions in its history: fire and language, agriculture, and finally writing and the wheel.

AI promises a fourth age, which the book discusses in detail.

10. AI Superpowers

The United States and China are at the forefront of AI research. In a context marked by a geopolitical and economic rivalry between the two countries, it stands to reason that AI would be weaponized someway.

AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order is a book by AI pioneer Kai-Fu Lee. China is racing with the U.S. to take the AI lead globally, and Lee thinks it will dominate the industry. If data is the new oil, says Lee. then China is the new Saudi Arabia.

Lee points out the factors that he thinks would help China win the AI arms race. He cites a high quantity of data, less data protection regulations, and a more aggressive AI startup culture as reasons giving China a potential edge.

These are our picks. What are the artificial intelligence books worth reading that left an impression on you?

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The Best Artificial Intelligence Books you Need to Read Today - Edgy Labs

Aquinas’ Fifth Way: The Proof from Specification – Discovery Institute

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Danzig

Editors note: See also, Introducing Aquinas Five Ways, by Michael Egnor. For Dr. Egnors previous posts in this series on Aquinas Five Ways, seehere,here, here, and here. For more on Thomas Aquinas, intelligent design, and evolution, see the websiteAquinas.Design.

Aquinas Fifth Way is the proof of Gods existence that is easiest to grasp in everyday life. The order of nature points to a Mind that gives it order. This obvious order is the substrate for all natural science after all, without natural order, scientific study of nature would be an exercise in futility. And the natural order is the framework for everyday life. We could not take a breath unless our lungs and nerves worked consistently, and unless oxygen had the chemical properties that it has. Order in nature is ubiquitous. We have become so accustomed to it that we fail to notice how remarkable it is.

That this natural order points to God is obvious. But what are the characteristics of this order? In living things, ID theorists describe this order as specified complexity. Specified complexity means that a pattern has substantial independently specified information (specification) that has a low probability of occurrence by chance (complexity). Aquinas would agree that such specified complexity points to a designer, but he understands natural order in a way that is rather different from the understanding of many ID theorists.

For Aquinas, it is the specification, rather than the complexity, that is at the heart of the Fifth Way. Aquinas understands specification in an Aristotelian sense: as final cause (teleology). The Fifth Way is often called the proof from Final Cause, or the Teleological proof.

Final cause is fundamental to Aristotelian-Thomistic metaphysics. One may ask: What is the cause of a thing? St. Thomas answers that to completely understand a cause in nature, we really must know four causes:

Material cause: the matter out of which something is made. The material cause of a statue is the block of marble from which it is carved.

Efficient cause: the agent that gets the cause started. The efficient cause of a statue is the sculptor.

Formal cause: the structure of the system that is caused. The formal cause of a statue is the shape of the statue.

Final cause: the end or purpose for the cause. The final cause of a statue is the purpose in the mind of the sculptor to use the statue to decorate a garden, for example.

In nature, final causes and formal causes often overlap. The formal cause of an acorn growing into an oak tree is the form of the oak tree, which is also the final cause of the growth of the acorn the end or telos of the growth of the acorn is the form of the oak tree it will become.

The four causes have reciprocal relations. Material cause and formal cause work together, in the sense that form provides structure to matter. Efficient cause and final cause work together, in the sense of a push-pull relationship. An efficient cause pushes while a final cause pulls simultaneously. Efficient causes point to ends regular causes in nature tend to specific outcomes. When you strike a match (efficient cause), it bursts into flame (final cause). Efficient causation is incomprehensible without final cause: regular cause-and-effect in nature is directional, in the sense that cause is consistently from one specific state to another specific state. It makes no sense to speak of cause from unless we also speak of cause to. Causes have beginnings and ends.

For St. Thomas (following Aristotle), final cause is particularly important, because it provides direction to natural causes. Final cause is the essential principle by which causes in nature happen. We moderns tend to ignore final causeswe think in terms of cause as a push efficient cause, rather than cause that pulls final cause. For St. Thomas, it is the pull of final cause that is fundamental to the regularity of nature. Final cause is the cause of causes.

With this in mind, lets look at the proof from the Fifth Way. St. Thomas notes that causes in nature are more or less consistent. Causation is the actualization of potentiality, and causation follows patterns. Things fall down, not up. Cold weather causes water to freeze, not boil. Acorns become oaks, but oaks dont become acorns. Aquinas notes that the final cause of an acorn is in some sense in the acorn itself: that is, in order for an acorn to reliably grow into an oak tree, the form of the oak tree must have some sort of existence while the acorn is still an acorn. A process of change cant point to an end unless the end pre-exists in some sense. But how can an oak tree exist when it is merely an acorn?

What exists is the form of the oak tree. The form of the oak tree can exist in two ways. It can exist in an object as a substantial form that is, the form can exist in the oak tree itself. This is the way forms ordinarily exist in objects.

A form can also exist in an intentional sense that is, the form can exist in the mind of a person who thinks about it. When I know an oak tree, the form of that oak tree is in my mind as well as in the oak tree. That is, in fact, how I know it. My mind grasps its form.

For change to occur in nature, the form of the end-state of the change must in some way exist prior to the completion of the change. Otherwise, the change would have no direction colloquially, the acorn wouldnt know what to grow into.

But of course most things in nature and all inanimate things dont know anything. An electron doesnt know quantum mechanics, but it moves in strict accordance with quantum mechanical laws. A rock knows nothing of Newtons law of gravity, but it falls in strict accordance with Newtons law. A plant knows nothing about photosynthesis, but it does it very well every day with an expertise exceeding that of the best chemist.

Since the form of the final state of a process of change cant be in the thing being changed the acorn is not yet the oak tree and change routinely occurs in things that have no mind to look forward to the final state, where is the form of the final state of change in nature?

Aquinas asserts that the form of the final state the telos or final cause must therefore be in the Mind of a Superintelligence that directs natural change. That is what all men call God.

So you can see that in the Thomistic Fifth Way, it is the specification of change, not its complexity, that is at the heart of the matter. Its reminiscent of the quip about a dog that can recite Shakespeare. Its not that the mutt knows Shakespeare thats remarkable; its remarkable that he can talk at all. Whats remarkable in nature is not so much that nature follows complex patterns, but that it follows any pattern at all. Any pattern in nature, even the simplest, cries out for explanation, and it is the fact of natural patterns that is the starting point of the Fifth Way.

From the Thomistic perspective, even the most simple natural process a leaf falling to the ground is proof of Gods existence. The fall of the leaf is specified prior to the fall leaves fall to the ground, rather than doing any of countless other things a natural object might do (like burst into flame or grow a tail). This specification this telos requires a Mind in which the fallen state of the leaf is conceived prior to the actual fall of the leaf. Change in nature requires a Mind to look ahead and direct it. Complexity (or simplicity) of the change is irrelevant.

It is the consistent directedness of change in nature that points to God. Atheists, with much handwaving and dubious science, claim to explain biological complexity by Darwinian stories. Yet, even on its own terms, Darwinism fails. Adaptation by natural selection may account on some level for the fixation of a particular phenotype in a population, but it offers no explanation for the fundamental fact of teleology in nature. In fact, Darwinian theory depends on teleology in nature. If natural causes were not consistent and mostly directed, there would be no consistency to evolution at all. There is no evolution in chaos. Without teleology, chance and necessity would be all chance and no necessity, and therefore no evolution.

Actually, atheists cant explain chance either. Chance is the accidental conjunction of teleological processes. A car accident may be by chance, but it necessarily occurs in a matrix of purpose and teleology the cars move in accordance with laws of physics, the road was constructed according to plans, the cars are driven purposefully by drivers, etc. There can be no chance unless there is a system of regularity in which chance can occur. Chance by itself cant happen it is, by definition, the accidental conjunction of teleological processes. Both chance and necessity point to God. Pure chance, without a framework of regularity, is unintelligible.

From the perspective of the Fifth Way, necessity permeates nature. But it is specification, rather than the complexity, that characterizes necessity and points to Gods existence. The specification need not be complex. The simplest motion of an inanimate object a raindrop falling to the ground is proof of Gods existence.

Teleology is foresight, the ability of a natural process to proceed to an end not yet realized. Yet the end must be realized, in some real sense, for final cause to be a cause. The foresight inherent in teleology is in Gods Mind, and it is via His manifest foresight in teleology that we see Him at work all around us.

This rules out the God of deism. The God of the Fifth Way is no watchmaker who winds up the world and walks away. He is at work ceaselessly and everywhere. The evidence for a Designer is as clear in the most simple inanimate process as it is in the most complex living organism. The elegant intricate complexity of cellular metabolism is certainly a manifestation of Gods glory the beauty of biological processes is breath-taking. But the proof of His existence is in every movement in nature in every detail of cellular metabolism, of course, but also in every raindrop and in every blown grain of dust.

Photo: An oak tree, by Abrget47j [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.

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Aquinas' Fifth Way: The Proof from Specification - Discovery Institute

A New Way to Cruise to Nassau in The Bahamas – Caribbean Journal

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Danzig

The Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line has launched its newest destination in The Bahamas: Nassau.

Bahamas Paradise, which already relaunched its popular cruises to Grand Bahama last month, has begun operating Nassau cruises out of West Palm Beach.

The company is featuring both traditional two-night cruises and its cruise and stay program, which includes stays at Nassau resorts like the Melia Nassau Beach Resort, the SLS Baha Mar and the Comfort Suites on Paradise Island.

We are excited to introduce our unique Cruise & Stay Program on Nassau, giving travelers the chance to extend their escape at any one of our partner hotels and resorts, said Oneil Khosa, CEO ofBahamasParadise Cruise Line. We have seen tremendous success with this program over the years, and we know that offering the option in Nassau will be a real hit for our guests, as well as benefit Nassau and theBahamas tourism recovery effort.

The lines new Nassau cruises include either a two-night cruise with a stop in Nassau or the cruise-and-stay program, which gives travelers the opportunity to stay for as many as six nights in Nassau.

Bahamas Paradise first announced the addition of Nassau as a destination in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.

The company is running the Nassau cruises on its Grand Classica cruise ship.

For more, visit Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line.

Originally posted here:

A New Way to Cruise to Nassau in The Bahamas - Caribbean Journal

Temple Terrace Donates Fire Truck To Ravaged Station In Bahamas – Patch.com

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Danzig

TEMPLE TERRACE, FL After learning that its fire station and all of its equipment was destroyed by Hurricane Dorian, the City of Temple Terrace and the Temple Terrace Fire Department are donating a retired fire engine to the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas.

Temple Terrace Fire Chief Ian Kemp will hand off the vehicle to representatives from the Marsh Harbour Volunteer Fire & Rescue at Fire Station #1, 124 Bullard Parkway, in Temple Terrace on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. The Marsh Harbour personnel will oversee the transport by freight and barge to the Abaco Islands.

The Abaco Islands were among the hardest hit islands in the Bahamas when the Category 5 hurricane struck Sept. 8. Fifty people have been confirmed dead in the Bahamas, most of them in the Abaco Islands where 17,000 people live.

"When a storm or other emergency threatens the City of Temple Terrace, residents, city staff and elected officials look to the fire department and four first responders to keep our community safe both during and in the aftermath of disaster," said Kemp. "But what if the fire department also was impacted? Such was the case in Abaco, Bahamas. Knowing that we had a truck in our fleet that has been replaced, City Manager Charles Stephenson suggested, and I wholeheartedly agreed, that it could be put to good use in the Bahamas."

"We suffered major damages in Abaco with results to our fire department trucks, equipment and building losing just about everything we had," said Marsh Harbour Volunteer Fire & Rescue Chief Danny Sawyer. "We were extremely delighted to hear from Chief Kemp."

Keith Chapman, president of Ten-8 Fire Equipment in Bradenton, also is donating four MSA Fire Hawk Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus and 4,500 PSI / 60 min air cylinders, valued at more than $4,000 each, along with some hose. Alan Davies, of Hydro Dynamic Solutions, is helping to coordinate the shipment of the truck to the Bahamas.

On Thursday, Kemp will transfer title of the vehicle to a representative from the Marsh Harbour Fire Department during a brief ceremony. Temple Terrace fire personnel also will offer training on some of the donated equipment to one of the Bahamian firefighters.

The engine then will be transported by Deberardini Heavy Haul to the Riviera Beach port in Palm Beach County, from which it will be dispatched by United Abaco Shipping to the island. The expected arrival date in Marsh Harbour is Oct. 28 or 29.

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Temple Terrace Donates Fire Truck To Ravaged Station In Bahamas - Patch.com

Hurricane Dorian Oil Spill Has Reached Freshwater Resources in the Bahamas – Gizmodo

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Danzig

Nearly 5 million gallons of oil spilled from a Bahamas facility in the wake of Hurricane Dorian. And now advocates have found evidence that the oil from the facility has made its way into nearby wetlands, pine forests, and mangroves.

The Category 5 storm hit Grand Bahama and Abacos Islands last month, home to an Equinor oil facility. The company is still cleaning up the mess left behind at its South Riding Point facility in High Rock, which hugs the southern coast of Grand Bahama. Unfortunately, Equinors 250-people crew hasnt been able to work quickly enough to keep oil from seeping into the environment.

Organizers with Waterkeepers Bahamas and Save the Bays took five samples within a mile of the facility on September 23 and 25. They also took two control samples in unaffected areas. Comparing the samples, they found levels of petroleum constituents that were well beyond what is naturally occurring, Christian Breen, a field investigator for Waterkeeper Alliance, said in an emailed statement.

The sample profile is distinct and consistent with the makeup of heavy-grade fuel oil, which is not supposed to be there, he said.

The main concern is that the oil will eventually make its way deeper into the islands scarce freshwater resources. These wetlands serve as a place where water is filtered before entering the underground water table. The oil, however, can diminish the quality of the Bahamas groundwater once the oil dissipates and travels farther, Rashema Ingraham, executive director of Waterkeepers Bahamas, told Earther. Wildlife that call the wetlands home can obviously suffer, but so can people who depend on groundwater for drinking or freshwater resources for fishing.

The impact wont happen within a month, really, but gradually over time as the oil makes an attempt to degrade into the soil, Ingraham said. The soil is going to soak it up, and the water is going to go into the water table, so that area will always have some traces of the oil that spilled during the hurricane.

The West Indian woodpecker and red-legged thrush are migratory birds that can be found in Grand Bahamas wetlands. Theyre at risk if they come in contact with any of the toxic oil residuals, and theyll continue to be at risk as climate change makes disasters like Hurricane Dorian more likely. Ultimately, the way to avoid such catastrophes from fossil fuel infrastructure is to get rid of it altogether. After all, all our oil consumption is exacerbating the climate crisisand island nations like the Bahamas are the ones that suffer the most.

In order to see change, we need to end the use of fossil fuels, said Ingraham. We will always be impacted by these changes. Each island, each country, each state has the opportunity to say no to these industries making millions off fossil fuels and heavily impacting small island nations like ours, like the Bahamas.

Earther has reached out to the Bahamas Environment, Science, and Technology Commission to learn more about its own monitoring efforts. Well update the story if we hear back.

Continued here:

Hurricane Dorian Oil Spill Has Reached Freshwater Resources in the Bahamas - Gizmodo

SITE Classic brings 300 Incentive Travel professionals to the Bahamas – Travel Daily News International

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Danzig

The 13th annual SITE Classic concluded at Grand Hyatt, Baha Mar with 300 incentive travel professionals in no doubt as to the incentive appeal of The Bahamas despite the recent ravages of Hurricane Dorian.

For three days attendees connected and built their professional networks, learned career enhancing new skills and discovered the pulse and beating heart of a truly stunning host destination while raising over $250,000 for SITE Foundation projects on research, education and advocacy.

Weve had Baha Mar on our radar for some time now, said John Iannini, CIS, CITP, President of the SITE Foundation, so anticipation amongst our attendee community was almost at fever pitch. Hurricane Dorian did cause problems but once it passed, and the health and safety of our attendees was secure, we were determined to be part of the solution by bringing SITE Classic here and channelling the good news that The Bahamas is very much open for business.

Hurricane Dorian was a prime example of how a threat can be turned into an opportunity. We leave The Bahamas personally and deeply enriched as a result of being able to play a small part in the Hurricane Relief program. Our DMC partner in The Bahamas, Cacique International used their unparalleled local connections to create an extensive, meaningful CSR activity where our attendees could get involved and make a difference. We feel privileged to have had this opportunity, said Anne DiGregory, CITP, Vice President Fundraising and Events.

Besides a full afternoon of activities in support of hurricane relief on day three of the event, on day two attendees choose from eight options that included an opportunity to take the Certified Incentive Travel Professional (CITP) designation. Highly popular, too, were destination-specific experiences particularly flexing with the flock, an outdoor yoga class in the presence of the graceful pink flamingos.

From a fundraising perspective SITE Classic was a resounding success with silent and live auctions raising a combined $250,000 + for SITE Foundation. SITE Classic is our flagship fundraising event. Its success is down to our incredible sponsors who donate amazing bucket-list travel packages and our patrons and supporters who dig deep to buy them! Its fitting too that we raise money in and through extraordinary travel experiences that is, of course, the essence of incentive travel, said Didier Scaillet, CIS, CITP, CEO of SITE & SITE Foundation.

SITE Classic 2020 will take place in Seattle from 27 to 30 September 2020.

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SITE Classic brings 300 Incentive Travel professionals to the Bahamas - Travel Daily News International

Grand Bahama All-Inclusive to Reopen in November – Caribbean Journal

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Danzig

In a major step for the recovery of Grand Bahamas crucial tourism industry, the islands Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach Resort is reopening.

The all-inclusive resort will be reopening on Nov. 1, tourism officials confirmed to Caribbean Journal.

The property will be reopening with more than half of its rooms having been newly renovated.

When it reopens, it will be the first hotel in Grand Bahama to resume normal operations since Hurricane Dorian.

Viva Wyndham is Wyndhams all-inclusive brand, with a footprint of resorts concentrated in The Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.

Its one of several hotels set to come back on line over the next few months, including the Flaming Bay Hotel, which already reopened earlier this month.

Grand Bahamas cruise sector has already rebounded, with dominant cruise line Carnival Cruise Line already running cruises to Freeport once again.

For more, visit the Viva Wyndham.

Original post:

Grand Bahama All-Inclusive to Reopen in November - Caribbean Journal

Bodies of two missing since Dorian found on Grand Bahama – Bahamas Tribune

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Danzig

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

HUMAN remains of two missing persons were recently recovered in the last two days during post Hurricane Dorian searches conducted by Grand Bahama police, according to a senior police official on Friday, bringing the total number of the dead recovered here on the island to 11.

Supt Brian Rolle, officer in charge of CDU, also reported that of the 11 bodies recovered, there is one unknown male or John Doe, and two unknown females or Jane Does.

He indicated that DNA testing would have to be conducted to identify the unidentified remains.

To date, Police have received 33 missing persons reports on Grand Bahama in relation to the storm. Some 23 photos of those persons were submitted to police.

A grief session was held Friday at the Gerald Bartlett Police Headquarters Complex in Freeport for relatives of the missing. Dr Dawn Gallagher, of GB Health Services, and Pastor Cedric Beckles, of Life Community Church, brought words of encouragement and hope to the grieving.

While addressing the gathering, Supt Rolle vowed that police would continue to search for the missing to bring closure for families, and for the GB community.

We know how hard this has been on you; how it has been on your families, and we will not take it lightly. It is our continued effort to make you know we are there with you. We are not leaving you on your own in this, Supt Rolle told the gathering.

There were tears among those attending the session held upstairs in the Police conference room.

Shaniqua Bartlett, who has four family members still missing, said the session was not only informative, but gave them hope that their loved ones would be found.

The session was very good; it was very informative and very encouraging. Even though we have family members missing it still gives us hope; it makes us feel that all is not lost; it gives us a hope to look forward to tomorrow, she said.

Ms Bartletts two sisters, a nephew, and grandnephew from East Grand Bahama have not been seen or heard from since the storm.

Special efforts are being placed on finding the missing as police have assigned two officers Sergeant Lewis and Corporal Leden who are team leaders of daily searches on Grand Bahama.

Our efforts have been and will continue to be relentless, making sure we leave none, said Supt Rolle. Dorian has already stolen the missing; it will continue to be our efforts to bring them where they can be properly (laid to rest).

Immediately after the storm, Mr Rolle said they deployed teams of six and eight persons on foot from Police Headquarters into different areas to rescue, and later recover persons.

Additionally, he noted that the US Coast Guards Black Hawk helicopters assisted in flyovers from September 5 - 25 checking the coastline and areas in the East. Thirty persons were also brought in from US Fire and Rescue from September 6 -14 to assist them in locating missing persons.

We discoveredthis was not just a matter of flying over with helicopters or driving in a vehicle and looking for someone - this was a lot more than that. And we learned that pretty quickly to follow the debris, which was where persons missing would be located.

With the debris bed in the East about eight or nine feet high, consisting of pine trees and leaves, Supt Rolle said it presented a huge challenge in their search for victims.

Cadaver dogs trained to detect human remains were brought in September 28-30.

Said Supt Rolle: They (the dogs) gave us 19 hits or different locations which we checked.

While the dogs were successful in locating dead animals, he said they were unsuccessful in locating any human remains.

The police, he said, had to then turn to heavy equipment to tackle the mounds of debris, using an excavator and heavy-duty tractor.

Our greatest accomplishment is following the debris, and, just lately we located two remains in the last two days, Supt Rolle said.

He stressed that police are determined to bring the missing home.

It is our intention and we have been mandated by the Commissioner of Police that we do it, and we will continue to search until as much as humanely possible until we know that no more search can be done, he said.

Supt Rolle said searches are being carried out in grid markings from Casuarina Bridge to McLeans Town.

We have doubled our efforts in some cases because we got additional information from persons who provide us with information because of what they might have noticed or smelled, he said.

Dr Gallagher, of Family Medical at Eight Mile Rock Community Clinic, believes that the session was very important for persons who are grieving over a missing relative or relatives.

Everybody is a bit solemn, and it is very difficult to put yourself in the shoes of somebody who has lost a loved one due to hurricane, those kinds of things are really unheard of for us. That was a random thing every so often, but to this extent we have never seen this before, and you could see that people are still trying to come to terms with the fact that weve been devastated in the way we are, not only devastated physically but devastated by having lost loved ones as well. And the unknown, not being able to recover some loved ones is something that we just cant get a grasp on. It is a tough thing to have to face not having answers to the questions, especially when it has to do with loved ones that is just really hard to accept.

Dr Gallagher said the only way the people can heal is through forums such as this where we can help each other.

She noted that many times in our tragedies people get isolated in pockets in the community.

It is forums like this that help us to understand that we are all just one big unit, one big family here on GB. And the extent of the storm and the damage was historical, and ultimately the only way that we are truly going to recover is if we all band together and take this as one mission, one goal, which is to rebuild our community, rebuild our GB, and the only way we can do that is by doing it together, she said.

Pastor Beckles said the pain the storm brought is a time to bring us closer to God, and to lean on each other for comfort, assistance, and to mend broken ties as a result of past grievances with family and friends.

Life is not going to be the same, he said. Pastor Beckles said that while Grand Bahama continues to experience disastrous storms, he is confident that God still has his hands on Grand Bahama and the Bahamas.

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Bodies of two missing since Dorian found on Grand Bahama - Bahamas Tribune

New Details Revealed on New Cruise Line Private Island in the Bahamas – Cruise Hive

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Danzig

MSC Cruises has revealed new details of its new private island Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in the Bahamas.

The fastest-growing cruise line in the world has revealed new experiences that will be on its new private island in the Bahamas. Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve is a new private island that has been developed by the cruise line. We already know many aspects of the stunning island including an iconic lighthouse, a great lagoon beach, unique beaches, seakers food court, an ice cream parlor and more.

Here are the new experiences which the cruise line has detailed and will be available for cruise passengers to enjoy when the destination opens in November 2019:

Four different MSC vessels will begin calling at the island in November with the first being MSC Meraviglia on Saturday, November 9, 2019. MSC Divina, MSC Armonia, and MSC Seaside will also be sailing to the private destination.

Also Read: Get a Detailed Look at New MSC Cruises Private Island

Ocean Cay is located 65 miles from Miami, Florida and is an essential port of call for the cruise line which has huge growth plans for the North American market.

Link:

New Details Revealed on New Cruise Line Private Island in the Bahamas - Cruise Hive

After Dorian, Americans must make it better in the Bahamas – amNewYork – amNY

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Danzig

The Caribbean nation is desperate to rebuild everything.

The Bahamas needs help.

Hurricane Dorian set up shop over the archipelago of islands a hop from Miami for approximately two days, causing massive and damage yet to be calculated. Dorian clocked in as the second strongest Atlantic storm on record, with winds of 180 mph and storm surges of 20-plus feet.

Houses disappeared under the Category 5 onslaught. Streets looked like rivers. The death toll is rising, and tens of thousands need medical attention. Rescue and aid efforts were hampered due to the violent weather, and the near-destruction of the paradisiacal tourist destinations international airport and ports. Small boats, water scooters, drones and helicopters are being used to help the victims.

The toll might be even worse than the one from Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Patrol deployed helicopters to help provide immediate relief, and U.S. Navy assets were ready to respond, too. Thats good but the next phase may prove even more brutal.

Supply chains have been disrupted, laying the groundwork for shortages of much-needed food, water and medicine. Weeks of chaotic recovery will be dangerous. We saw this in Puerto Rico in 2017, when secondary death tolls caused by the storm skyrocketed over initial counts.

Further aid is crucial during this period, and Washington must work quickly with international partners to shore up our reeling neighbor. That means more than retweeting weather reports. President Donald Trump should call for and support a coordinated international response.

Hurricane Maria prompted an outpouring of support from New York State and City Hall, given Puerto Ricos territory status and tightly knit diaspora here. There hasnt been the same level of local support this time, but that should change.

Many disaster-relief organizations have kicked into gear. People should remember that cash donations are most helpful to quickly reach those in need. Watchdogs like Charity Navigator offer lists of reputable organizations.

Dorians effect is shaping up to be a humanitarian disaster. Now is the time for Americans to show their humanity.

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After Dorian, Americans must make it better in the Bahamas - amNewYork - amNY

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